Best 8 Grilled Mediterranean Cornish Game Hens Recipes

GRILLED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• In a large, non-reactive bowl, mix onion, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, pepper, celery salt, and salt. Place Cornish game hens in the bowl, coating evenly with the marinade mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook hens about 1 hour on the prepared grill, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

GRILLED MEDITERRANEAN CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Mix spices in a small bowl.
• Rub all over hens and grill immediately, or cover airtight and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat barbecue grill.
• Place hens, skin side down, 4 to 6 inches above heat source.
• Grill 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, until meat is opaque near the bone and juices run clear when thigh is pierced.
• Serve with lemon wedges.
• Enjoy!

GRILLED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place the Cornish hens skin side down on a cutting board.
• Using kitchen shears cut along one side of the backbone from the tail towards the neck. Cut along the other side of the backbone to remove it completely.
• Turn the hen over and bend the legs so they face outward. Using two hands, press down firmly on the breast until you hear the breastbone cracking. Repeat with the remaining birds.
• Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, parsley, salt, and pepper to a large bowl or large Ziploc bag and mix everything together. Add in the hens and use your hands to move everything around making sure they are coated well in the marinade.
• Preheat half the grill to 350°F/180°C. Clean and oil the grilling grates to help prevent the birds from sticking.
• Place the hens skin side up over the heat/coals and brush them with the remaining marinade. Cover and cook for 5 minutes then flip and cook for another 15-25 minutes.
• Remove from the grill and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the hens in half with kitchen shears, cutting along one side of the breastbone. Place the hens on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down; season with salt and pepper. Scatter the lemon slices over and around the hens. Roast until the hens are golden, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, 3 minutes. Add the broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, cover and cook until tender, about 3 more minutes; set aside.
• Combine the honey, cumin, paprika and lemon juice. Brush on the hens and continue roasting until cooked through, 5 to 7 more minutes.
• Stir the cilantro and lemon zest into the couscous and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the hens and drizzle with any pan juices.

GRILLED GAME HENS

Steps:

• Place hens in a large resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour half into bag; add the hens. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. , Drain and discard marinade from hens. Place hens in a 13x9-in. disposable aluminum pan. Pour reserved marinade over hens; cover pan. , Grill, covered, over medium-hot heat for 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180° and meat juices run clear, basting frequently. Place hens directly over heat for the last 3-4 minutes of cooking time, turning once.

STEVE RAICHLEN'S GRILLED GAME HENS

Steps:

• 1. For the marinade, whisk together all the ingredients except the game hens and lemons in a large bowl.
• 2. Rinse, drain, and halve the hens lengthwise; place in the bowl, coating thoroughly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 8 hours (the longer, the better), turning occasionally.
• 3. Preheat the grill, using the three-tier method (see note below ). When ready to cook, oil the grill rack. Remove hens from the marinade and arrange skin-side down on the rack over the hottest section of the grill; cook until the skin starts to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Move the hens to the center section of the grill and continue to cook until the skin is thoroughly browned, 7 to 10 minutes more.
• 4. Turn the hens and move them back to the hottest section of the grill. Brown the second side well, 5 to 7 minutes, then move the pieces back to the center section of the grill to finish cooking. The total cooking time will be about 25 to 35 minutes. When ready, the hens will be crisp and golden-brown outside, and the juices will run clear when the meat is pierced. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
• Three-Tier Grilling Method:
• Pile 2/3 of the coals on one side of the grill and the remaining 1/3 in the center. Leave a small portion of the grill free of coals. Three-tier grilling gives you a super-hot heat source for searing, a moderately hot heat source for cooking, and an area to place the food if it starts to burn. You control the heat by moving the food from one area to the other.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.
• Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

GRILLED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, onions, parsley, ginger, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. , Rub mixture under the skin and over the top of each game hen. Sprinkle remaining salt and pepper inside the hen cavities. , Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Prepare grill for indirect heat, using a drip pan. , Place hens breast side up over drip pan; grill, covered, over indirect medium heat for 45-60 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180° and the meat juices run clear.